Zidane (Zinedine Yazid Zidane) | All Football Players Zidane (Zinedine Yazid Zidane) Zlatan Ibrahimović Zidane (Zinedine Yazid Zidane) Zinedine Zidane is a retired French football player and the only three-time FIFA World Player of the Year winner. Zidane received the Ballon d’Or in 1998, and in 2004 he was voted as the best European footballer of the previous 50 years in UEFA’s 50th anniversary Golden Jubilee Poll. He helped France to victories in the 1998 World Cup as well as in the 2000 European Championship, and he also captained France to the 200 World Cup Final where he was awarded with the FIFA Golden Ball as the tournament’s most outstanding player. Career At the age of ten, Zidane joined the junior team of US Saint-Henri, a local club based in La Castellane. After a year and a half he switched to SO Septèmes Valons.

When he was 14 years old he was selected to attend a training camp run by the French Football Federation and was spotted by a talent scout for the AS Cannes. Zidane travelled to Cannes for a six-week stay, but ended up staying with the club for four years as a pro. At first the 14 year old lived in a dormitory with other trainees, but soon he moved in with Cannes director Jean-Claude Elineau and his family. Zidane played his first Ligue 1 match for Cannes in 1989, at the age of 17. During Zidanes first full season with Cannes, the team qualified for the UEFA Cup for the first time in the history of the club. In the 1992/1993 season Zidane was transferred to Girondins de Bordeaux where he stayed until 1996. Girondins de Bordeaux won the 1995 Intertoto Cup and finished second in the 1995/1996 UEFA Cup. Zidane was transferred to Juventus for £3.2 millions in 1996.

Juventus won the 1996/1997 Serie A and the 1996 Intercontinental Cup, and finished second in the 1997 UEFA Champions League. Juventus then proceeded to win the 1997/1998 Serie A and once again finish second in the UEFA Champions League. In 2000/2001, the team finished second in Serie A. During his time with Juventus, Zidane was named Serie A Foreign Footballer of the Year for both 1997 and 2001. In 2001, Zidane signed a four year contract and transferred to Real Madrid for a record breaking transfer fee of 150 billion Italian lire (roughly €75 millions). Real Madrid won the 2002 UEFA Champions League, and in the next season Zidane helped his team secure a victory in La Liga. During Zidane’s last season for Real Madrid, he was their second highest goal scorer and assists provider with 9 goals and 10 assists over the course of 28 games. Zidane played his last home match for Real Madrid in May 2006.

Private life Zinedine Zidane was born in Marseille, France in 1972. His parents Smaïl and Malika comes from Aguemone, a village in Kabylia, a Berber-speaking part of Algeria. They emigrated to France in 1953. In Marseille, Smaïl worked as a warehouseman at a department store while Malika was a house wife. Zinedine grew up in La Castellane, a low-income suburb in northern Marseille. Zinedine has three older brothers and one older sister. At the age of five, Zinedine started playing football in his neighborhood. Zinedine is married to Véronique Fernandez. They have four sons; Enzo (born 1995), Luca (born 1998), Theo (born 2002),and Elyaz (born 2006). Enzo, Luca and Theo have joined the Real Madrid Academy. Zenidine has promoted several charity projects in various ways. By playing charity matches, he has helped raise money for UNICEF, for the United Nations Development Programme and for the Keuydaroon children’s AIDS charity.

Zenidine is also a UN goodwill ambassador. Zinedine Zidane, the best football player in the world Zinedine Zidane Zinedine Yazid Zidane, (often incorrectly spelled ZinÃ©dine, Arabic: زين الدين زيدان‎ transliteration: Zīn ad-Dīn Zīdān), (born June 23, 1972), popularly nicknamed Zizou, is a former French football player of Kabyle Algerian descent who starred for both the French national team and for four club teams, most recently Real Madrid. Zidane is often considered to be the best footballer of his generation and one of the greatest of all time. A midfielder, his elegant dribbling, balance, passing ability, shot accuracy, shot selection, and well-placed free kicks have made him one of the game's finest players and the natural successor of Michel Platini as France's top playmaker. His precise control over the flow of the game and his ability to hold and protect the ball remain highly regarded. Zidane received international attention with his two headed goals in the 1998 World Cup final against Brazil that essentially won his country's first ever title.

He has been elected FIFA World Player of the Year three times (1998, 2000, 2003), a record that has only been matched by Ronaldo, and once as European Footballer of the Year (1998). In 2004, Zidane was added to the FIFA 100, a list of the 125 greatest living footballers selected by PelÃ© as part of FIFA's centenary celebrations. As announced on 25 April 2006, Zidane retired from international football after the 2006 World Cup Final on 09 July 2006. Club Career Zidane was born in Marseille, France and raised in La Castellane, a government-sponsored housing project (citÃ© HLM) in the northern suburbs of Marseille (the "Quartiers Nord"). Though born in Marseille, Zidane has never played for Olympique de Marseille. Zidane got his start in football at an early age, when he joined the US Saint-Henri club. He moved on to Septemes Sports Olympiques after Saint-Henri's coach convinced its director to sign him.

After leaving Septemes at the age of 14, Zidane participated in the first year junior selection for the league championship. He was called in for three days at the sport regional centre in Aix-en-Provence, where Jean Varraud, AS Cannes' recruiter, took notice of the French-Algerian player. Zidane ventured off to Cannes for what was intended to be a six-week stay, but he remained at the club for four years to play with professionals. After spending four years with Bordeaux, he was transferred to Italy's Juventus F.C. for a fee of Â£3 million. In 2001, Zidane was transferred from Juventus to the Spanish club Real Madrid on a four-year contract. The transfer fee was â‚¬66 million, making him the most expensive player in football history. His fellow Galacticos at Madrid included David Beckham, RaÃºl GonzÃ¡lez, LuÃ­s Figo, Ronaldo, and Roberto Carlos. He scored a spectacular winning goal in a 2-1 win over the German team Bayer Leverkusen in the 2001-2002 Champions League Final in Glasgow's Hampden Park.

On 7 May 2006, Zidane played his last home game for Real Madrid at the famous Santiago BernabÃ©u stadium. His team-mates wore special jerseys that had "ZIDANE 2001 - 2006" written on the bottom of the club logo. As expected, the Real Madrid fans gave him a warm reception and kept cheering him throughout the whole game. The opponent team was Villarreal CF and, unfortunately for Zidane, the game ended in a 3-3 draw. He scored the second goal for Real Madrid without any major celebration. After the game, Zidane swapped jerseys with Juan Roman Riquelme, the Villarreal CF and Argentinian midfielder. Zidane was given a massive ovation by spectators, which left him in tears. International Career Zidane holds dual citizenship of both France and Algeria, and therefore could have played for Algeria. However, Algerian national coach Abdelhamid Kermali denied him a position on the team, arguing that the young midfielder was "not fast enough".

Zidane earned his first cap on August 17, 1994, entering at the 63rd minute of a match against the Czech Republic. France was behind 2-0 when Zidane came to the pitch and subsequently scored two goals, which led to a 2-2 final result. Zidane was a member of the French national football team in the 1998 FIFA World Cup. During France's second match of the first round, he received a red card and a two-game suspension in a 4-0 win over Saudi Arabia for stomping on Saudi Arabia's team captain Fuad Amin. Reports from people close to Zidane state that Amin had provoked him verbally. After scoring in the Penalty shootout against Italy in the Quarter Final, he scored his first and only regular goals during the tournament in the final against Brazil, leading his team to a 3-0 victory, with France winning its first ever World Cup championship. This was also the first time in 20 years that the host country's team had won the tournament. Two years later, Zidane and France won the Euro 2000 championship.

He helped his team reach the final with inspired play and important goals, in quarterfinals against Spain â€” via direct free kick â€” and a golden goal penalty against Portugal in semifinals. Subsequently, his team was ranked the number one team in the world, and it was the first time since West Germany in 1976 that a team held both the World Cup and Euro titles. Injuries prevented Zidane from performing at his best in the 2002 FIFA World Cup. France's attempt at defending their title was spectacularly unsuccessful; the team was eliminated in the first round without scoring a single goal. Zidane rushed back from his injury in time to play in France's last game, but could not perform at his usual level. On August 12, 2004, after France lost in Euro 2004 to the eventual winners, the Greek national football team, Zidane retired from international football. However, after France experienced serious problems in attempting to qualify for the 2006 FIFA World Cup, Zidane announced on August 3, 2005 that he was coming back to play for France.

He stated on his official website: "I have gone back on my decision, one year after I said it was categorical." On the same day, French teammate midfielder Claude MakÃ©lÃ©lÃ©, who also quit the French team following Euro 2004, said he wanted to come out of international retirement as well, and in the same week, Lilian Thuram made the same announcement. The trio made their competitive return in the 3-0 FIFA World Cup qualifier win against the Faroe Islands on September 3, 2005, and France went on to win their qualifying group. On 25 April 2006, after an injury-plagued season at Real Madrid, Zidane announced that he would retire from professional football following his representing France in the 2006 FIFA World Cup finals to be held in Germany. On May 27, 2006, Zidane earned his 100th cap for France with a 1-0 victory over Mexico at the Stade de France in Saint-Denis on the outskirts of Paris.

It was his last match in the stadium and he became only the fourth Frenchman after Marcel Desailly, Didier Deschamps and Lilian Thuram to earn a hundred national caps. He was substituted early in the second half. 2006 World Cup In the closing minutes of France's second match of the 2006 FIFA World Cup, against South Korea, Zidane was given a yellow card for running into a player late. As a result, he was suspended from the third and final match of the group stage. France nonetheless beat Togo 2-0, allowing Zidane to play in the knockout stage. In the Round of 16 match against Spain in Hanover on June 27, 2006, Zidane assisted Patrick Vieira on the second goal by sending a free kick in to the penalty area. During stoppage time, he scored the final goal of the match, leading to a 3-1 victory. The win booked Zidane and France's date with defending champions Brazil in the quarter-finals of the tournament. On 1 July 2006, France beat favoured Brazil 1-0 in Frankfurt.

Zidane provided the free-kick assist on Thierry Henry's winning goal, and was named Man of the Match by FIFA's Technical Study Group. On 5 July 2006, France played against Portugal in Munich for the semi-final. Zidane scored a penalty kick against Ricardo, which turned out to be the only goal of the game and saw France through to the final. 2006 World Cup Final On July 9, 2006, Zidane played his second World Cup final match and scored in the seventh minute from the penalty spot with a chip shot that hit the crossbar before narrowly bouncing behind the goal line. He became one of only four footballers to achieve the feat of scoring in two different World Cup final matches (he scored twice in the 1998 FIFA World Cup final), sharing the honour with PelÃ©, Paul Breitner, and VavÃ¡. This goal also made him one of the top goalscorers in World Cup final matches, with 3 goals, tied for first place with VavÃ¡, Geoff Hurst and PelÃ©.

He almost scored a second goal during the first period of extra time but his header was saved by Italy's goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon. Controversy over violent offence Zinedine Zidane headbutting Marco Materazzi during the 2006 World Cup Final (animated image, video, alternate video, front angle video)Zidane was sent off for violent conduct after headbutting Italy's defender, Marco Materazzi, in the chest in the 110th minute, after exchanging words while walking down the field. The game ended in a 1-1 draw and Italy won the championship after a penalty kick shootout. Regarding the substance of the argument, Zidane's agent Alain Migliaccio said, "[Zidane] told me Materazzi said something very serious to him but he wouldn't tell me what." He also told reporters that Zidane planned to speak out about the incident." Several newspapers have had lipreaders try to interpret what Materazzi said, though they have come up with different interpretations, ranging from racist remarks concerning Zidane and his family, to an inappropriate comment about his wife.

Broad consensus of these analyses is that Materazzi spoke in Italian, a language understood by Zidane, and that he gravely insulted Zidane. According to Milan based La Gazzetta dello Sport, Materazzi admitted that he insulted Zidane, but recounted the incident as follows: "I held his shirt for a few seconds only, then he turned to me and talked to me, jeering. He looked at me with a huge arrogance and said: 'If you really want my shirt, I'll give it to you afterwards'. I replied with an insult, that's true." He stressed that the insults were "the type [...] that we've heard before so many times on the pitch, and sometimes we don't even notice it". Responding to reports that he had called Zidane a "dirty terrorist" or "son of a terrorist whore", Materazzi insisted the insult was not racist in nature: "I did not call him a terrorist. I am not a cultured person and I don't even know what an Islamist terrorist is." He also rejected claims that he had insulted Zidane's mother: "I certainly didn't talk about Zidane's mother because to me the mother is sacred".

Zidane's mother Malika had been taken ill to hospital hours before the World Cup final. Golden Ball award The day following the final, July 10, 2006, Zidane was awarded the Golden Ball for being voted best player in the 2006 World Cup by a poll of journalists covering the tournament. Zidane received 2,012 votes, ahead of Italy's Fabio Cannavaro (1,977 votes) and Andrea Pirlo (715 votes). Although the polling continued until midnight, most votes were cast during half-time, prior to Zidane being sent off. Aftermath of the incident The reaction to the headbutting incident has been mixed. After returning to Paris, the team met with French President Jacques Chirac, who had also attended the game in Berlin. Chirac hailed Zidane as a national hero and proclaimed: "You are a virtuoso, a genius of world football" He added: "You are also a man of heart and conviction. That is why France admires and loves you." Despite the controversy surrounding Zidane's offence, his main sponsors announced that they would stick with him.

Regarding the headbutt itself, an advertising executive stated that the "childish gesture" would give "a more human image of the hero". It would "bring the icon closer to the people". Not all post-game reaction was positive, however. Brazilian coach Carlos Alberto Parreira dubbed Zidane a "monster" for his action, while Italian defender Gianluca Zambrotta described the headbutt as a "spiteful gesture." Moreover, some French newspapers condemned the headbutt. Le Figaro called the headbutt "odious" and said Zidane's "unacceptable gesture was sanctioned properly." On the Monday after the final, an editorial in popular sports daily L'Equipe questioned how Zidane could explain his action to "millions of children around the world," comparing him to Muhammad Ali but adding that neither Ali, nor Jesse Owens or Pele "broke the rules the way you did." The newspaper went on to admonish Zidane for failing to console his teammates on the pitch after the loss and said he would have to "explain your gesture to your four sons." On Tuesday, however, the newspaper apologised for Monday's comments.

"If they [my words] hurt you, I apologise," editorialist Claude Droussent wrote on the front-page. Protaganist's comments Materazzi acknowledged he insulted Zidane, who he called his "hero," without giving specifics. "I didn't say anything to him about racism, religion or politics," Materazzi said. "I didn't talk about his mother, either. I lost my mother when I was 15 and even now I still get emotional talking about her." On French television in an interview on Wednesday, Zidane didn't indicate what Materazzi said, but went on to say the insults related to his mother and sister. On July 20 both players will give their explanations during a hearing of the FIFA disciplinary committee.

Zidane repeated the "he felt no regret about his outburst because that would mean (Materazzi) was right to say all that." He concluded with : "My act is unforgivable, but they must also punish the true guilty party, and the guilty party is the one who provokes." Honours With the French national team: FIFA World Cup Spanish Super Cup: 2001, 2003 UEFA Champions League: 2001/2002 Spanish League - La Liga champions: 2002/2003 European Super Cup: 2002 FIFA World Player of the Year: 1998, 2000, 2003 European Footballer of the Year (Ballon d'Or): 1998 UEFA Champions League Most Valuable Player: 2001-02 UEFA Golden Jubilee Poll (Best European player of the past 50 years): 2004 FIFA World Cup Golden Ball Award: 2006 Personal Life Zidane's first name is Arabic for "ornament of the faith", while his family name is Arabic for "increases/grows the faith".

His wife, VÃ©ronique Zidane, is a former dancer and model of Spanish origin. They married in 1993 and have four sons named Enzo, Luca, ThÃ©o and Elyaz. Zidane describes himself as a "non-practicing Muslim". Allegations that Zidane's father was a harki, or Algerian supporter of French rule, have been denied by Zidane himself. Trivia The nickname Zizou was given to Zidane when he played for Bordeaux in the mid-1990s. Yaz - for Yazid, his middle name - is another of Zidane's nicknames, given to him by his brothers and used by his family and close friends. When Zidane came back from international retirement, in August 2005, he was reinstated as captain of the French national team, where he wears squad number 10. At Real Madrid he wore squad number 5. In an interview Zidane declared that when he was a teenager, he admired Olympique de Marseille's Uruguayan playmaker Enzo Francescoli (after whom he named his eldest son).

He once was a ballboy at a match with Francescoli and thus saw him up close. He was an Athens 2004 Torchbearer. In 2004, Zinedine Zidane was appointed as "Chevalier" (Knight) of the LÃ©gion d'honneur by French President Jacques Chirac. The first penalty kick Zidane ever missed for France was during his last match in a French stadium, while playing a friendly game against China in Saint-Ã‰tienne, June 7, 2006, the last preparation game for the 2006 FIFA World Cup in Germany, where he accidentally slid and placed the ball above the goal. Zidane's first hat-trick was against Espanyol in La Liga 2006 with Real Madrid. The assist for Thierry Henry's goal against Brazil in the 2006 FIFA World Cup quarter-final was Zidane's first in 53 games for his teammate. The game ended 1-0. Zidane scored the only goal of the game, a penalty, in France's semi-final win over Portugal in the 2006 FIFA World Cup.

It was the team's eighth consecutive successful spot-kick. Zidane also scored a penalty kick against Portugal in the semi-final of Euro 2000. Zidane shares his birthday with former French teammate Patrick Vieira. Zidane is known to be modest, quiet and admittedly shy. However, Zidane has occasionally shown a quick temper on the pitch. One such display occurred in a 2000/2001 Champions League match between Juventus Turin and Hamburger SV, in which Zidane headbutted Jochen Kientz; he received a red card for this action. He also received a red card and a two-game suspension for stomping on Saudi Arabia's team captain Fuad Amin in the 1998 World Cup, allegedly in response to an insult. In extra time of the 2006 World Cup final, he was sent off for head-butting Italy's Marco Materazzi. Overall, he was sent off 14 times in his career.

Zidane was not the first player to be sent off in a World Cup final match (three others preceeded him in that), nor was he the first to sent off in two World Cup tournaments (Rigobert Song from Cameroon was the first, in 1998), but Zidane was the first to be sent off during extra time. Zidane was sponsored by LEGO for a while and wore its logo. He was the official endorser of the company's Soccer/Football line, and was also immortalised in plastic in the form of a LEGO minifigure of himself, available in several of the sets. He is also sponsored by adidas, who supply him with Predator football boots and gear. Other sponsorship deals have included Danone, Generali, Orange, Audi, Ford and Christian Dior. During the 2005/2006 season, sponsorship deals like this earned him â‚¬8.6 million, on top of his â‚¬6.4 million Real Madrid salary. Credits : This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License .

It uses material from the ZidaneZone.com Awards - All About Zinedine Zidane Semi-Finalist, FIFA European Nations cup, 1996. Champion, FIFA World Cup, France 1998. Champion, King Hassan II Tournament, Morocco 1998, 2000. Champion, FIFA European Nations cup (Euro 2000). Italy Championship: Winner of the Italian Supercup, Italy 1997. Champion, Scudetto, Serie A, Italy 1997. Champion, Scudetto, Serie A, Italy 1998. Runner-up, Scudetto, Serie A, Italy 2000. Runner-up, Scudetto, Serie A, Italy 2001. Spain Championship: Winner of La Liga, Spain 2003. European Club Championships: Runner-up, UEFA Cup 1996 with Bordeaux. Winner of the European Super Cup in 1996 with Juventus. Winner of the Intercontinental Cup in 1996 with Juventus. Runner-up, UEFA Champions League 1997 with Juventus.

Runner-up, UEFA Champions League 1998 with Juventus. Winner of the UEFA Champions League 2001 with Real Madrid. Winner of the Intercontinental Cup in 2002 with Real Madrid. Winner of the European Super Cup in 2002 with Real Madrid. Individual: Voted Best Young Player in France in 1994. FIFA World Footballer of the Year - 3rd, 1997 Golden Ball Award, 1998. Zinedine Zidane: The greatest footballer of all time? | GiveMeSport Zinedine Zidane: The greatest footballer of all time? Published 24/7 When you talk about football's greatest players, former Real Madrid and France midfielder Zinedine Zidane is right up there with the best of them. Here's an extensive look at the career of the man who led France to the country's first and so far only World Cup triumph. Born in Marseille in 1972 to Algerian parents, Zidane began his youth career in his country of birth at the early age of ten.

His talent even from his early years was undeniable so much so that when he turned 14 he signed a youth contract with Cannes in 1986. He made his professional debut for the club three years later at the age of 17 in a Ligue 1 match against Nantes. Two years later, he scored the first goal of his professional career for Cannes which coincidentally was against Nantes. In his first full season he helped the club finish fourth in France's top league thus securing a UEFA Cup spot. It was the team's highest finish in over 40 years. In 1992, Zidane was transferred to Bordeaux and won the UEFA Intertoto Cup in 1995 with future international teammates, Bixente Lizarazu and Christoph Dugarry. That same year, English Premier League side Blackburn Rovers were interested in signing the French midfielder however the club's owner Jack Walker stated ''Why do we need Zidane when he have got Tim Sherwood?'' He was also part of the French squad that participated in the 1996 European Championship tournament.

Zidane played well throughout and helped his country reach the semi final before being defeated by Czech Republic on penalties following a 0-0 draw. The up and coming talent had impressed enough during his time with Bordeaux and the French national team to persuade Champions League winners and Italian giants Juventus to sign him for a fee in the region of £3m in the summer of '96. In his first season with the Old Lady, Zidane won the Scudetto and reached the Champions League final, only to lose to Borussia Dortmund 3-1 in the final which prevented Juventus from retaining Europe's top prize. He also helped the Italian side win the Serie A title once again with 11 goals in all competitions during the 1997/98 season as his reputation was growing just before the 1998 World Cup which would be held in his homeland of France. Despite being the host nation, France were not regarded as the favourites and many felt they would be eliminated in the latter stages by the likes of either Brazil, Italy or the Netherlands. Les Bleus competed against Denmark, South Africa and Saudi Arabia in Group C.

The host nation won all three group games however their talisman Zidane was sent off in the second match against Saudi Arabia. Without their key man France still managed to overcome the threat of Paraguay in the Round of 16 with a 1-0 win before defeating Italy 4-3 on penalties following a goalless draw in the quarter-final. Two goals from defender Lillian Thuram against Croatia sent France to the final where they would play pre tournament favourites and holders, Brazil. It was during the final where Zidane what a terrific talent he truly was. He gave his country the lead in the 27th minute before adding a second before half time, the first World Cup goals of his career. Fellow midfielder Emmanuel Petit added a third goal in stoppage time at the end of the game to give France a 3-0 win and with it the host nation were crowned world champions for the first time in the country's history. Due to a number of fantastic performances, Zidane was named in the 1998 World Cup all star team along with teammates Marcel Desailly, Fabien Barthez and Lillian Thuram.

Zidane was named the FIFA World Player of the Year to add to his list of honours in 1998 which cemented his place as the best player in the game. He continued to play a key role for Juventus and was an integral part of both club and country as the European Championship was co-hosted by Belgium and the Netherlands in 2000. Zidane scored two goals during the tournament, the first in the quarter final against Spain which was a memorable free-kick before scoring a penalty against Portugal which ultimately turned out to be the golden goal in extra time to send France through to the final. Les Bleus went on to win the tournament and become European champions for a second time thanks to another golden goal from David Trezeguet to give France a 2-1 win over Italy. Zidane was voted World Player of the Year for a second time in 2000. In his final season at Juventus, Zidane was named the Serie Player of the Year for a second time in 2001. In the summer of that year, the Frenchman joined famed Spanish side, Real Madrid for a then transfer record of around £48m.

Zidane went some way to repaying the fee in the 2002 Champions League final when the midfielder scored a sensational match winning volley against Bayer Leverkusen to give Los Blancos an unprecedented ninth European title. The following season he helped Real win the La Liga title and in 2003 he was once again voted the World Player of the Year. The Frenchman was still his country's key player during the European Championship in 2004. He scored three goals during the tournament including two against England in a group match. However, Les Bleus were eliminated at the quarter final stage by eventual winners Greece. Following the tournament, Zidane announced his retirement from international football at the age of 32. The same year, the playmaker was voted by fans as the best European Footballer of the past 50 years in UEFA's Golden Jubilee Poll. Zidane came out of international retirement in 2005 and was reinstated as captain upon his return. He announced he would retire from football immediately following the 2006 FIFA World Cup. Zidane scored the first hat-trick of his career while playing for Real Madrid against Sevilla in January 2006.

The Frenchman played his last competitive match at the Santiago Bernabeu against Villarreal in a 3-3, fittingly Zidane was able to get on the scoresheet during this game, giving the Frenchman the perfect send off to his career with the Spanish giants. The 2006 FIFA World Cup was held in Germany and was set to be the final tournament of the legendary Frenchman's career before retirement. The '98 winners made a slow start but managed to qualify from the group with one win and two draws. France began to build momentum and defeated Spain in the Round of 16 with Zidane scoring the third and final goal in a 3-1 victory. Les Bleus progressed to the semi final with a 1-0 win over Brazil courtesy of a goal from Thierry Henry. Zidane scored a penalty against Portugal to send his country through the World Cup final to face Italy. France seized the initiative and were in front on seven minutes when Zidane's penalty cannoned off the inside of the crossbar before crossing the line. However The Azzurri were level 12 minutes later thanks to a Marco Materazzi header.

The score remained level into extra time before Zidane was sent off for head-butting Materazzi in the chest. France were defeated by Italy 5-3 on penalties and Zidane's career ended in the worst way possible. The Frenchman received the Golden Ball for best player at the 2006 World Cup. He has since been hailed as "the greatest player of all time: by former Real Madrid teammates David Beckham and Roberto Carlos. Legends of the game such as Pele, Franz Beckenbauer and Michel Platini have all expressed their opinions about what a talent Zidane was. After achieving every feat within the game, the former France captain was voted as the best player in the Champions League of the past 20 years in 2011, ahead of the likes of Lionel Messi, Paolo Maldini and Raul. Do you think Zinedine Zidane is the greatest player of all time? Have your say below. Write for GiveMeSport! Sign-up to the GMS Writing Academy here: DISCLAIMER: This article has been written by a member of the GiveMeSport Writing Academy and does not represent the views of GiveMeSport.com or SportsNewMedia.

The views and opinions expressed are solely that of the author credited at the top of this article. GiveMeSport.com and SportsNewMedia do not take any responsibility for the content of its contributors. Do YOU want to write for GiveMeSport? Get started today by signing-up and submitting an article HERE: Topics: My Football Facts & Stats | Legendary Players | Zinedine Zidane Search My Football Facts & Stats Web site designed & hosted by Paul Yarden © 2013 at Homestead™ Legendary Football Players: Zinedine Zidane 125. Zinedine Zidane Zinedine Yazid Zidane (born 23 June 1972) is a retired French World Cup-winning footballer. “Zizou” was widely considered one of football's all-time greats, Zidane played for club teams in France, Italy and Spain, and was a member of the French national team. His career accomplishments include helping France win the 1998 FIFA World Cup and UEFA Euro 2000, in addition to winning the 2002 UEFA Champions League as a galactico with Real Madrid.

One of only two three-time FIFA World Player of the Year winners along with Ronaldo, Zidane was also named the European Footballer of the Year in 1998. He retired from professional football after the 2006 FIFA World Cup. Zidane joined the junior team of US Saint-Henri, a local club in the La Castellane district of Marseille. At the age of 14, he participated in the first-year junior selection for the league championship, where he caught the attention of AS Cannes scout Jean Varraud. He went to Cannes for a six-week stay, but ended up remaining at the club for four years to play at the professional level. Zidane played his first Ligue 1 match at seventeen, and scored his first goal on 8 February 1991, for which he received a car as a gift from the team president. His first season with Cannes culminated in a UEFA Cup berth.

Zidane was transferred to Girondins de Bordeaux for €7 million in the 1992–93 season, winning the 1995 Intertoto Cup and finishing runner-up in the 1995–96 UEFA Cup in four years with the club. He played a set of midfield combinations with Bixente Lizarazu and Christophe Dugarry, which would become the trademark of both Bordeaux and the 1998 French national team. In 1995, Blackburn Rovers coach Ray Harford had expressed interest in signing both Zidane and Dugarry, to which team owner Jack Walker reportedly replied, "Why do you want to sign Zidane when we have Tim Sherwood?" In 1996, Zidane moved to Champions League winners Juventus for a fee of £3.2 million, and won the 1996–97 Scudetto and the Intercontinental Cup, but lost the 1997 UEFA Champions League final 3–1 to Borussia Dortmund.

He netted seven goals in 32 matches to help Juventus retain the Scudetto the next season and make their third consecutive UEFA Champions League final appearance, losing 1-0 to Real Madrid which would be his next destination. Juventus were runners-up in 2000–01, but were eliminated in the group stage of the Champions League, during which Zidane was sent off for head butting Hamburger SV player Jochen Kientz. In 2001, Zidane joined Real Madrid for a then world record fee of €78 million and signed a four-year contract. He scored the match-winning goal, a thunderous volley hit with his weaker foot, in Madrid's 2-1 win over Bayer Leverkusen in the 2002 UEFA Champions League Final completing this personal quadruple. The next season, Zidane helped Real Madrid to win the Spanish league title and was named the FIFA World Player of the Year for the third time. In 2004, fans voted him atop UEFA's fiftieth-anniversary Golden Jubilee Poll, and he was included in the FIFA 100.

Despite scoring his first-ever hat-trick in a 4-2 win over Sevilla FC, Zidane's final season of club football ended trophyless. On 7 May 2006, Zidane, who had announced his plans to retire after the 2006 World Cup, played his last home match and scored in a 3-3 draw with Villarreal CF. The squad wore commemorative jerseys with "ZIDANE 2001–2006" below the club logo. Both France and Algeria consider Zidane a citizen, but he was ineligible to play for the Algerian national team. There was also a rumor that coach Abdelhamid Kermali denied him a position for the Algerian squad because he felt the young midfielder was not fast enough. However, Zidane dismissed the rumor in a 2005 interview, saying that he would have been ineligible to play for Algeria because he had already played for France.

He earned his first cap with France as a substitute in a friendly against the Czech Republic on 17 August 1994, which ended in a 2-2 draw after Zidane scored twice to help France erase a 2-0 deficit. After Éric Cantona was handed a year-long suspension in January 1995 for assaulting a fan, Zidane took over the playmaker position. France were eliminated in the UEFA Euro 1996 semifinals in a penalty shootout by the Czech Republic after the match ended 0-0 in extra time. Zidane won the 1998 FIFA World Cup with France, scoring twice in the final against defending champions Brazil. He finished with two goals as France then won UEFA Euro 2000, becoming the first team to hold both the World Cup and the European Championship since West Germany in 1974. A thigh injury prevented Zidane from playing in France's first two matches in the 2002 FIFA World Cup. He rushed back prematurely for the third game despite not being fully fit, but could not prevent France from being ignominiously eliminated in the group stage without scoring a single goal.

After France were eliminated in the UEFA Euro 2004 quarterfinals by eventual winners Greece on 12 June 2004, Zidane retired from international football. With the mass retirement of veteran key players such as Bixente Lizarazu, Marcel Desailly and others, France struggled to qualify for the 2006 FIFA World Cup. However, at the urging of coach Raymond Domenech, Zidane came out of retirement and was immediately reinstated as team captain. He made his competitive return in a 3-0 win over the Faroe Islands on 3 September 2005, as France went on to win their qualifying group. On 27 May 2006, Zidane earned his hundredth cap for France in a 1-0 friendly win over Mexico, becoming France's fourth player ever to reach this milestone, after Marcel Desailly, Didier Deschamps and Lilian Thuram. He was substituted early in the second half.

After being suspended on yellow cards from the final match of the group stage, Zidane set up a goal for Patrick Vieira and scored one himself in the 91st minute of the second round match against Spain. As France held Brazil to just one shot on goal in the rematch of the 1998 final, Zidane's free kick led to Thierry Henry's deciding goal, sealing a 1-0 win. Zidane was named Man of the Match by FIFA. Before the final match, Zidane was awarded the Golden Ball as the best player of the competition. By scoring a 7th minute penalty in the final, Zidane became only the fourth player in World Cup history to score in two different finals, along with Pelé, Paul Breitner, and Vavá, in addition to being tied for first place with Vavá, Pelé and Geoff Hurst with three World Cup final goals apiece. Zidane was sent off in extra time after head butting Marco Materazzi following verbal taunts and insults from the Italian player, and so did not participate in the penalty shootout, which Italy won 5–3.

Despite the incident, Zidane was allowed to keep the Golden Ball award. On June 1, 2009, Zidane was announced as the Advisor to the President as Florentino Perez was named President of Real Madrid for the second time. He also regularly plays for Real Madrid Veterans team. He along with Jorge Valdano, General Director, and Miguel Pardeza, Sporting Director, will be the key decision makers on the sporting side of the club. Zinedine Zidane Latest News, Biography, Photos & Stats | Zinedine Zidane's Family, House Photos & News | Zinedine Zidane's Football Records, Achievements | Sportskeeda.com Zinedine Zidane Biography & Latest News Zinedine Zidane Biography Zinedine Yazid Zidane is a retired French footballer who plays as an attacking midfielder and playmaker for the French national team, Juventus and Real Madrid. Zidane got his first player's license after joining the junior team of US Saint-Henri. After spending a year and a half at US Saint-Henri, Zidane joined SO Septèmes where he stayed till the age of 14.

Next he transferred to Cannes; what started out as a six week stay at Cannes evolved into a four year contract at a professional level for Zidane. Zidane made his professional debut with Cannes on 18 May 1989 at the age of seventeen in a Ligue 1 match against Nantes. Zidane was transferred to Girondins de Bordeaux in the 1992–93 season, winning the 1995 Intertoto Cup and finishing runner-up in the 1995–96 UEFA Cup in four years with the club. In 1996, Zidane moved to UEFA Champions League winners Juventus for a fee of £3.2 million, and won the 1996–97 Serie A and the 1996 Intercontinental Cup. In 2001, Zidane joined Real Madrid on a four year contract for 151 billion Italian lire. The next season, Zidane helped Real Madrid to win the 2002–03 La Liga and was named the FIFA World Player of the Year for the third time.

In 2004, fans voted him as the best European footballer of the previous 50 years in UEFA's fiftieth-anniversary Golden Jubilee Poll. He scored his first hat trick ironically on his final season with the club. Zidane was voted as FIFA World Player of the Year on three occasions (1998, 2000 and 2003), and also won the Ballon d'Or in 1998. He currently holds the post of Real Madrid Director of Football. Zinedine Zidane Latest News & Articles Zinédine Zidane - UEFA.com UEFA.com Published: Saturday 1 January 2011, 17.03CET Real Madrid CF Published: Saturday 1 January 2011, 17.03CET Zinédine Zidane Read more Clubs: AS Cannes, FC Girondins de Bordeaux, Juventus, Real Madrid CF • Born in Marseille to Algerian immigrant parents, Zidane took his first steps to footballing superstardom at Cannes, where he remained for four years before transferring in 1992 to Bordeaux.

• While there, he blossomed into a French international, scoring twice on his international debut against the Czech Republic in August 1994. • Left Bordeaux after helping them reach the 1996 UEFA Cup final and joined Juventus, where he was a Serie A winner and UEFA Champions League runner-up in each of his first two seasons; won no further trophies, however, in his last three campaigns in Turin prior to a world-record €78m transfer to Madrid in 2001. • Made up for a lack of club silverware by inspiring France to victory at 1998 FIFA World Cup – he scored two headers in the Paris final against Brazil – and at UEFA EURO 2000, where he was the Player of the Tournament; winner of the Ballon d'Or in 1998, he was voted FIFA World Player of the Year in 1998, 2000 and 2003.

• Made it third time lucky in the UEFA Champions League final by scoring a spectacular volleyed winner in Madrid's 2-1 victory over Bayer 04 Leverkusen in the 2002 showpiece at Hampden Park; won the UEFA Super Cup, European/South American Cup and the Spanish Liga the following season. • Announced his international retirement after UEFA EURO 2004 but returned a year later and proved inspirational once again at the 2006 World Cup – especially with a virtuoso performance in a quarter-final win against holders Brazil; however, dismissed for a headbutt on Marco Materazzi in the final against Italy – the last match of his career. UEFA honours Zidane – UEFA.com Playing career: AS Cannes, FC Girondins de Bordeaux, Juventus, Real Madrid CF Coaching career: Real Madrid CF • Born in Marseille to Algerian immigrant parents, Zidane took his first steps towards footballing superstardom at Cannes, transferring to Bordeaux in 1992. Blossomed into a French international, scoring twice on his debut against the Czech Republic in August 1994.

• Left Bordeaux after helping them reach the 1996 UEFA Cup final and joined Juventus, where he was a Serie A winner and UEFA Champions League runner-up in each of his first two seasons. Lifted no further trophies, however, in his last three campaigns in Turin prior to a then world-record €78m switch to Madrid in 2001. • Made up for a lack of club silverware by inspiring France to 1998 FIFA World Cup glory – scoring two headers in the Saint-Denis final against Brazil – and at UEFA EURO 2000, where he was player of the tournament; winner of the Ballon d'Or in 1998, he was also voted FIFA World Player of the Year in 1998, 2000 and 2003. • Made it third time lucky in the UEFA Champions League final by hitting a spectacular volleyed winner in Madrid's 2-1 victory over Bayer 04 Leverkusen in the 2002 showpiece at Hampden Park. Landed the UEFA Super Cup, European/South American Cup and Spanish Liga the following season.

• Announced his international retirement after UEFA EURO 2004 yet returned a year later and proved inspirational at the 2006 World Cup – especially with a virtuoso display in a quarter-final triumph over holders Brazil; however, was dismissed for a headbutt on Marco Materazzi in the final against Italy – the last match of his career. • Stayed at Madrid in an advisory role, becoming assistant to Carlo Ancelotti in 2013/14 – the season the club claimed their tenth European title. Took charge of Real Madrid Castilla for the next campaign, and in January 2016 succeeded Rafael Benítez as head coach, promptly leading the club to yet another European Cup that May – the seventh to lift the trophy as player and coach. Added the UEFA Super Cup three months later, making him the fifth man to win that trophy in both guises. ©UEFA.com 1998-2017. All rights reserved. Last updated: 21/10/16 15.04CET

Question: For which club was Zinedine Zidane signed when voted "World Footballer Of The Year" in 1998 and 2000?
Answer: JUVENTUS